Some dos and don’ts of business-writing etiquette

HBR Guide to Better Business Writing - Bryan A. Garner 2013

Some dos and don’ts of business-writing etiquette

Dos:

1. Proofread all documents before sending them out to make sure the spelling and grammar are correct.

2. Double-check that the recipient’s name is spelled correctly and that the form of address is proper (Ms., Mrs., Miss, Mr., Dr., Judge, Justice, Honorable, etc.). Double-check the envelope, too, if there is one.

3. Sign business letters with your full name unless you’re friends with the recipient. If the salutation is “Dear Mr. Smith,” sign your full name; if it’s “Dear George,” sign your first name only.

4. Sign your letters with an ink pen and not with a stamp of your signature.

5. Always include your contact information so that the recipient will know how to respond to you.

6. If you’re sending a handwritten note to a business contact or friend, use a stamp to mail the letter rather than meter-stamping the envelope.

7. Before sending an e-mail, make sure that you have (a) included everyone you need in the address block and (b) incorporated any attachments you refer to in the e-mail.

8. Use white space effectively so that the document reads well and is not a strain on people’s eyes. Create generous margins, leave spaces between paragraphs, break up text with subheads if appropriate, and indent appropriately.

9. Date your communications (except e-mails, which will date themselves) so that they give the reader a reference time.

10. Write distinctive thank-you notes if you’re writing them to several people in the same office. It’s counterproductive if recipients compare their notes and realize you mass-produced them.

Don’ts:

1. Don’t use all caps. It amounts to shouting at the reader.

2. Don’t return a letter to its sender by writing on it to save time or paper. A reply should be on a separate piece of paper, even if it’s a short note. Contracts and other agreements are a separate issue.

3. Don’t write “Thank you in advance.” If you want to thank people in a request, simply make the request and then write “Thank you.” Also, be sure to say thanks (perhaps in person) again when the task has been completed.

4. Don’t use BCC on an e-mail unless you are quite sure that it is necessary. It could get you a bad reputation as being indiscreet.

5. Don’t use tiny or unusual fonts that make your writing hard to read or that make you seem flippant.

6. Don’t write a very long topic in the subject line of an e-mail.

7. Don’t write a thank-you note on a card with a preprinted “Thank you!” or “Merci” (it’s not considered good manners).

8. Don’t let the passage of time stop you from writing to express congratulations, gratitude, condolences, or whatever other sentiment your instincts say you ought to express.

9. Don’t write a letter in anger or frustration. Step back, take some time, and detach yourself from the situation. Come back to writing when you have had time to reflect on the matter and can express yourself calmly.

10. Don’t put anything in writing that you would be ashamed to see reported on the front page of the Wall Street Journal.